I'm going to start a museum.

Apparently in Peoria, they are polling people to see if there is interest in having a Creation Museum. A Creation Museum is where they tell the story of the creation of the world through the telling of the Christian Bible. I highly doubt that Peoria will vote to have a new museum built due to being cheap. I'd like to think they'd want to work on their zoo and Lakeview museum a little more, but that's just me. Plus, I don't think that the city's taxes should be used to fund a religious museum, but that's a different post altogether.

Anyway, I got to thinking about this Creation Museum and it kind of started bugging me. First off, a museum is supposed to be a learning experience where you explore and learn different things. Things that are from different cultures, centuries, or peoples. You should be able to walk around and get a sense of exploring. With the Creation Museum, you are getting the Christian Bible laid out in front of you in exhibit form. I'm not saying that's a terrible thing, but it's not a museum. You're not learning different interpretations of history or creation at this place. You are only learning one. And with all the diversity in the country, it doesn't seem too fair to only have one certain religion's view on creation to be given a whole museum unless the city's willing to have other religions and cultures just as equally represented in museum form as well.

So, I've decided to start my own museum. In my museum, it will be about the creation of the world, but it won't just be the Christian Bible interpretation. It will have all the interpretations from different religions, cultures and peoples. It will have the stories of creation from the Ancient Romans, the Aztecs, Native Americans, Ancient China, Native Americans, Middle Eastern religions, etc. You'd get to explore each different region of the world and what they used to believe and what they believe now. There'd be an area where you'd get to compare and contrast the similarities and differences between the many creation stories. It would be history and learning and everything a true museum should be. How awesome would that be?

So, I will be looking for sponsorship and brainsmarts on how to fund and start said museum. I think it would be the bestest museum EVER!!!!!

The Land of Dragons

My senior summer, I started working at the uber classy, super fantastic Dragonland. My friend Melissa worked there and was always talking about how much fun she had, I needed another job, so I decided to apply. My brand new boyfriend of a month and a half (Evan) asked his sister (who'd worked there for a few summers already) to put in a good word for me too. So began my many, many years spending summers at Dragonland.

I was an attendent (aka: sand nazi and life jacket hander-outer) and occasionally a cashier. I worked 4 hour shifts and thought it very grusome. I made minimum wage and probably developed lots of skin cancer, but I freaking loved that job. I worked every summer until we moved to DeKalb in 2005. That's right folks, I even worked there in college, while pregnant with Ebeth and after I was married. Why?! (you ask in a horrified voice) I have no idea.

At first I was just an attendant and cashier (you know, normal high school jobs). I lived at home through college, and did have another job, but still continued doing time at Dragonland. Eventually, I started teaching swim lessons in the mornings, which led me to becoming the director of swim lessons the summer I was pregnant with Elisabeth. I held that position for three terrible, terrible summers. I was in charge of hiring and managing high school kids who never freaking showed up to teach their stupid classes, which means I had to calm down lots of parents who were very angry about never having a constant teacher for their kids' classes. During my second summer, Evan was hired on too, so that was kind of nice because we occasionally got to work together. Kyle was the WSS for a summer or two, so there was a time when we both had keys to the pool and were technically in charge. When I was the director of swim lessons, I hired almost my entire family as swim teachers, so if you wanted a job and could teach children not to swallow water, you were hired.

Probably the only real benefit of me working there 7 summers is that Elisabeth got to take swim lessons for free!! Since I was the director and I made Evan teach classes, Jana came every day to take Elisabeth to swim lessons. Elisabeth was like a mermaid. She was never scared or timid in the water. She loved the dragon slide, the mushroom, and jumping into the deep end.

When we moved, Evan and I were both shocked at the prices of getting into a pool since neither one of us had had to pay to get into Dragonland in almost a decade. And, now that we're in Colorado, we're completely lost because having an outdoor pool like the ones in Illinois isn't as common due to the cool temperatures and low humidity. So, we're forced to swim indoors even in the summer. Oh, Dragonland, how spoiled you have made us.

I love me some Don Draper.

Don't watch Mad Men? Well, sorry, but that makes you a horrible person. You see, Evan and I don't watch much tv. In fact, we religiously watch three shows--Top Gear (on BBC America), CBS Sunday Morning, and Mad Men (on AMC). That's it. We might catch a 30 Rock here or there, a Simpsons or two, but usually, we just don't have the tv on.

But, Mad Men? Mad Men is wonderful. We just watched the season three finale last night (because we DVRed it so we could put off having the season over as long as possible...obviously because we are dorks), and I am so angry that I now have to wait months for season 4. I tried blaming Evan for making it end, but he reminded me that I can't blame him for things just because I have no one else to blame. (hate it when he's right) What do I love, you ask? EVERYTHING.

I love love love love the setting. 1960s advertising agency. Everything is as true to era as it can get. I love Jon Hamm. Not only is he delicious to look at, but he someone makes Don Draper lovable despite some very unhealthy qualities (you know, drinking at 9 in the morning, chain smoking, adultery, etc.). I love the banter between the characters, the dialogue, the plots and how there may be one main character (Don), but otherwise everyone is completely equal in storyline. I hate some of the characters (Pete. Trudy. Joan's stupid husband) but can't help but sometimes feel sorry for them or wish that they'd succeed (despite my loathing them later in other episodes). There are times when we're done watching an episode and Evan will declare it added nothing to the plot and then I tell him the million things I think it was trying to lead up to. And then, in turn, Evan will remember something the older seasons were foreshadowing in the new episode we just watched. It's smart, witty and completely fascinating. We wondered where they were going with this season since somethings came out that had been under the show's skin for a while and other things that didn't seem to make sense, and then the last episode wrapped it all up in a tight little package that you can't open until next year.

If you don't watch it, please start. But start from the beginning or otherwise somethings won't make sense. And then you can discuss with me what you love about it. And the first thing better be Don Draper in business casual wear.

Elisabeth's Deployment

Well, Elisabeth got her deployment papers. She was to report to Peterson AFB by 1000 last Saturday.

Evan went with her since he was doing all the legal counsel for the deployment line.

Elisabeth and the other deployees were given a briefing about what was expected of them for their tour of duty.


Elisabeth and the others all got some one on one time with Evan concerning their powers of attorneys while they were deployed. Many of the troops were concerned about their iPods and game systems and who would watch them while they were gone. Elisabeth insisted that our babysitter Hannah be her power of attorney and that she should watch the cats and Julia until Elisabeth gets back. (Apparently, I am not trustworthy to watch them, but, whatever.)

They then broke for lunch where they ate their MREs. Elisabeth declared the ravioli delicious. Evan did not agree.

After lunch, it was time for some training. She received a certificate for rubber band gun training, was fitted for her protective gear, and got to learn how to man a tank.




We're going to miss her, but we know she'll make us proud.

Not feeling "bloggy"...

This girl loves her some Yo Gabba Gabba.



Could you imagine having a daily column in a newspaper? How do those people do it? How do you write something on probably the same subject day in and day out? I mean, this is just posting one blog a day for 30 days and I've got pretty much nothing today. Guess I shouldn't get into the newspaper field.

Since I am struggling today with any sort of topic for a post, I am going to share more cell phone pics from the archives. I only hope that I don't run out of cell phone pics or this is going to be a long month...

Elisabeth feeding Julia. :)

Evan and Elisabeth playing Legos Star Wars in our apartment in DeKalb. Julia is a mere onlooker.

Julia and her favorite doll. We've misplaced it since our move, but she stinking loved it!

Elisabeth loves dressing up in whatever she can find.



I made Ethan a super nice basketball hoop for his house one day while visiting. Like the hat? ;)

Ethan and Julia chillin' at Ethan's house.

Of course I let my kid lick the Target cart.

Julia and her old pal Moxie waiting for some grub.



Tomorrow I will attempt a real post. (I'd like to emphasize the attempt part)

Elisabeth's Theatrical Debut

On Wednesday, last week, Elisabeth was in her very first play (well, her first play with lines. Technically, she was Baby Jesus in a church play when she was a little over a month old). She'd been in an acting class that practiced every Wednesday after school for over 2 months and they put on the production of "Charlotte's Web". Elisabeth played "Joy", one of Charlotte's babies that stays with Wilbur in the barn. It was a cute production and Elisabeth was quite proud that she was one of the only ones who memorized all her lines and spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. Elisabeth has a bit of the acting bug in her (gee, wonder where she got that...it's not as if the plays and speech team are where Evan and I met or anything...), and if you ask her what she wants to be, she says she wants to be in movies. And then she'll begrudgingly add, "After I graduate from college," because I've already told her there will be no movies or tv shows until she has an education under her belt. When she asked why, I told her I love her too much to have her be a child star. She gave me a skeptical look and stormed off in a very over dramatic manner. *sigh* I guess we'll have to keep finding community theater to keep her happy.


Their stage.









Her teacher came to see her perform! Elisabeth was SOOOOO excited and proud that Mrs. B came!

And now is the time when I show off cell phone pictures

Julia giggling in the car.


Julia finding the food greener on the other plate.


Me and my shadow.


They love holding hands while we walk Elisabeth to school.


Julia greeting me into "her" house.


Elisabeth being uber cute.


Evan backpacking Julia at Garden of the Gods.